SMA Gives Employees Freedom to Succeed
Scarbrough, Medlin and Associates Inc. has built its success on a foundation of trust.
“I never needed to be pushed or made to work,” said Rod Medlin, Scarbrough, Medlin & Associates Inc. (SMA) CEO. “My theory is to find people who are self-starters and work because they like to and want to. … Over time, that management style has brought unique and different people I have known and grown to trust,” he said.
The freedom to succeed on their own terms, knowing the team has their back, makes SMA, headquartered in Plano, Texas, Insurance Journal’s South Central region Bronze winner in the 2024 Best Agencies to Work For survey.
“I like that you are free to do your job without micromanaging,” said one nominating employee. “I like the open-door policy to upper management, and upper management is very approachable if you have questions or concerns.”
Rod Medlin leads that charge, employees say.
“Our fearless leader has a great sense of humor, is kind and interested in helping the employees to be successful,” said a survey respondent. “We have the right tools to get the job done and to help grow our book.”
That includes keeping up with all the changes in the rapidly evolving industry, Rod Medlin said. “I never sold an account over $250,000 without sitting across the table from a client, and now agents are selling millions over email,” he said.
While personalized contact and the techniques that made him successful are still important, the next generation has a different approach. Staying excited about the changing industry is part of the agency’s longevity. “I still remember carbon paper and telex machine,” Rod Medlin said, laughing. “For me, it has taken some bright young people to make me turn loose, and I have, and it has worked, and the autonomy makes all the people happy.”
Going the extra mile is one timeless attribute Rod Medlin brings to the table every day, said another employee. “Our CEO Rod Medlin has, on more than one occasion, woken up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning to drive three hours and simply support his producer in a 30-minute meeting that had very little agency income.”
Several nominators shared the sentiment.
“The management and experienced employees will go far beyond the call of duty for their fellow workers and will do anything to help them personally succeed,” one said.
Account Executive Alex Medlin, Rod Medlin’s son, grew up in the office and has seen “a lot of different generations of employees while crawling under my dad’s desk,” he laughed.
“Everyone is their own small business within the small business, and we allow them to run theirs as they see fit,” Alex Medlin said. “They have autonomy over their small business, and we’re here for them, and we all have a common goal.”
Alex said the agency is like a baseball team, with his father as the manager. “You are in the batter’s box alone to swing, but a supporting cast is also standing behind them.”
It’s a delicate balance to strike between giving employees the independence they need while proactively offering enough support.
“This company gives you the freedom to get your work done however you please, as long as work is getting completed, of course,” said another nominating employee. “Whether you want to work from home, work in the office, or even rent an RV and travel while getting your job done (we have one employee who actually does that!).”
Those efforts have earned the trust and loyalty of the next generation of employees.
“I will never leave Scarbrough Medlin,” said one employee in their survey response. “I have been in the industry for 20 years and this place and these owners are hands down the best people to work for,” they said. “I guess the best way to say it is that I never feel undervalued, and that means a lot in day-to-day interactions.”